Monday, January 27, 2014

I don't have a lot to add to the numerous reviews and comparisons of Naked 3. I am very happy with mine, and I find the pink, gold, and taupe colors the most flattering of the Naked palettes so far!

Like Naked 2, this palette comes in a heavy duty plastic case.

The shades start with the lightest at the left, and deepen as they progress.

A nice double ended brush is included, which I have yet to unwrap. I did use the brush included with Naked 2 occasionally- I like the shape and size.

Most shades are soft and pigmented. The only exceptions are Dust, which is a glittery mess, and Trick, which has a hard texture that requires layering.

I highly recommend Naked 3. If you can work with warm rosy neutrals, this palette has a great selection of finishes. I have been using regularly for a few weeks now, and I love the range of looks I have been able to achieve.

Sunday, January 19, 2014

I purchased only one item from Chanel Spring- the beautiful, shimmering pink Impulsion Illusion D'Ombre.

Impulsion is full of silvery sparkle, with a light pink base that adds just a hint of color.

Chanel Illusion D'Ombres are a cream shadow with light springy texture. I love to pat them on over shadow using my fingertip- this gives maximum sparkle with minimum mess.

I have been using Impulsion along with Urban Decay Naked 3- it gives an extra bit of dimension to my look.

Comparison swatches:

Lancome Persistent Peach is full of gold shimmer, compared to the silver sparkle in Impulsion. Maybelline Inked in Pink is a deeper pink with less shimmer. Urban Decay Dust is the most similar, but as a powder it has a lot of fallout. Dust also isn't as sparkly or dimensional as Impulsion.

I absolutely love Impulsion! It adds a gorgeous pink sparkle to the lids without being high maintenance or difficult to apply. The shadow lasts all day without migrating to my cheeks or dropping sparkles under my eyes. It is a wonderful pick for spring.

Friday, January 17, 2014

NARS has been reading my wish list. Final Cut is a collection featuring the new edge of pink- four matte blushes, four satin lip pencils, and one liquid illuminator.

Once I saw the promo pictures for NARS Final Cut, I was all:

Throwing caution to the wind, I purchased all four blushes and one satin lip pencil.

We will begin with New Attitude, a fresh strawberry pink.

I was sure it would be close to NARS Gaiety, but it is deeper and warmer. Dior Happy Cherry is close, but more saturated and slightly shimmery in comparison.

Next is Sex Fantasy, a pastel baby pink.

Urban Decay Magic, which I sometimes use as blush, is a deeper a pink. NARS Mistinguette is more blue based, lighter, and brighter. Sex Fantasy appears to blend in with my skin in the swatch, but it gives a very natural light pink flush on my cheeks with no chalkiness.

NARS Love was the color that I was sure to have a few matches for.

NAR Day Dream is very close, but Love is pinker and lighter. Day Dream also has subtle shimmer. Chanel Rose Ecrin is more brown than Love.

Last is Final Cut, a matte coral.

NARS Boys Don't Cry is much deeper and more red than Final Cut. Chanel Frivole is more orange and has shimmer.

I haven't loved the Satin pencils I purchased in the past, so I got one to reevaluate my feelings.

Descanso is a natural brownish pink.

The formula is very soft, and low shine. It doesn't last longer than a couple hours, but I love the soft polished look. Compared to Dolce Vita Matte pencil, Descanso is more peach and lighter in color.

NARS Final Cut has been one of my favorite collections this winter, and the gorgeous pink and peach shades have me ready for spring!

Saturday, January 11, 2014

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Thursday, January 9, 2014

My Ulta finally put out a display for the new NYX Butter Lipticks! I have been anticipating these, since I have much love for the Butter Glosses.

I noticed that there are more colors on the NYX website than on display here- the gaps in numbering are actually missing colors. Ulta doesn't always carry a full NYX line in store.

I bought three- Fireball, Fun Size, and Taffy- and the formula is smooth and comfortable on the lips. It feels light and moisturizing, not too slippery or thick. There is a light plastic scent, but it may not be noticeable to most, and it fades quickly. I can not fully attest to wear time yet, but they seem to have average wear time for a moisturizing lipstick- between 2-4 hours. So far, so good!

Thursday, January 2, 2014

Revlon has a new cheek collection including new blushes and a few highlighters with a strip design. I chose Classy Coral and Haute Pink blushes, and the lightest highlighter- Peach Glow.

I have been wearing the blushes regularly for the past few weeks, and I can confidently declare them winners! Haute pink is a bright cool pink with a satin finish. Classy Coral is a matte pinkish peach shade. They both have excellent wear time, and build easily from a natural flush to a bold pop of color.

Peach Glow was a miss, as the color is too deep to be a highlight color on me. It is not very shimmery either, so layering it over a blush isn't an option.

Next up in blush news, is Maybelline Master Highlight Blush. The patchwork design is really lovely, and the promise of a highlighter and blush in one sounds promising.

Pink Rose is a neutral pink with silvery shimmer. Unfortunately, it is too light to work as a blush for me. When I build the color, the finish becomes overly frosty. I did try layering this over a pink blush, and the color and finish were pretty- too bad the staying power was lacking on this.

Maybelline also released a collection of lipsticks called The Buffs. These are the Colorsensational formula, which I have loved in the past.

Stormy Sahara is a warm medium brown. Blushing Beige is a light brownish beige. Both a colors are opaque and creamy with no shimmer.

Unfortunately, neither of these colors were very flattering on me. Both are overly brown, with no hints of peach or pink to be seen. A sheerer formula or slightly different undertones would have made these more workable for me. I can layer them with gloss and get a better color result, but I think I will pass on the rest of this collection.

On to a win from Maybelline. Color Elixir is a full color gloss that is supposed to be moisturizing and shiny.

The wand is similar to YSL Glossy Stains- a flat, angled applicator.

I love the clear and compact packaging!

Petal Plush is a baby pink with silver shimmer. It was the only one that felt slightly gritty to me, and it left silver shimmer behind after it faded.

Blush Essence is a medium cool pink with a slight silvery sheen. It can look very natural with one coat, and more saturated with another layer.

Nude Illusion is a smooth light brown. On the lips, it gives a soft nude sheen without muting my natural lip color totally.

The Color Elixirs are cushiony and thick in the best way possible. They don't feel sticky on the the lips, and are slightly moisturizing. They are lightly floral scented, which I love; the smell might bother some though. I would definitely like to try more colors in this line!

Are there any drugstore products you have loved lately? I am still on the lookout for NYX Butter Lipsticks!